My Sister's Grave (Tracy Crosswhite, #1)(67)

“Not to worry,” the vet said. “We’ll take good care of him for as long as you need.”

Dan dropped to a knee and took Rex’s big head in his hands. “I’m sorry, buddy. One more night, then we’ll get you home. I promise.”

Tracy was moved by Rex’s troubled brow and Dan’s compassion. It was tough to keep her emotions in check as she watched the vet lead the big dog away. As they approached the door, Rex looked back, worried and forlorn, before reluctantly continuing. It was heartrending.

Dan stepped quickly out onto the porch and Tracy followed him. The car that had been parked across the snow-covered field was gone. She looked for it, but the streets were empty. Dan’s Tahoe and her Subaru were the only cars in the parking lot. Across the field, smoke curled from chimneys atop the A-frame homes, and children bundled in hats, scarves, and gloves played in the snow. Otherwise, no one was braving the cold or willing to risk getting too far from home with the anticipated heavier snowfall.

“I hate to leave him here,” Dan said, clearly emotional.

“I know, but you made the right decision.”

“It doesn’t make it any easier.”

“That’s how you know it was the right decision.” She took his hand, which seemed to surprise him. “I think Rex and Sherlock are lucky you found them, Dan. And I think Roy Calloway now knows you’re not the pudgy little kid with the glasses that he used to bully.”

“Pudgy? Is that what you thought of me? I’ll have you know that was undeveloped muscle.”

She smiled, seeing in his face not only the boy who had been her friend but also the man he’d become—adept and strong enough to vanquish Roy Calloway, but sensitive enough to be brought to tears by one of his dogs. A good man, a man who’d been hurt and used humor to hide his pain, the type of man she’d hoped would someday come into her life. She’d been using the hearing to stall acknowledging her feelings for Dan because it had been so long since she’d allowed herself to become emotionally close to another human being, afraid that she could lose another person dear to her and not wanting to relive that pain.

Snow stuck to Dan’s hair. “You were good today. Better than good.”

“We’ve got a long way to go. Today was just about locking down Calloway’s testimony. Tomorrow is about landing the real blows.”

“Well, I was still impressed.”

He gave her an inquisitive look. “You mean surprised.”

“Not at all.” She held up her free hand, thumb and index finger a fraction of an inch apart. “Okay, maybe just a little bit.”

He laughed and squeezed her hand. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. I surprised myself.”

“Yeah? How so?”

“It’s been a while since I was in a courtroom cross-examining a witness in a case that mattered. I guess it’s like riding a bike.”

“Except that didn’t always go too well for you, as I remember.”

His eyes widened with mock indignity. “Hey, it was one flat tire!”

She laughed while continuing to consider how their intertwined fingers seemed like a natural fit, and imagining what his fingers would feel like caressing her skin.

“Are you going to be all right in that motel?” Dan asked.

“I won’t be eating anyone’s famous bacon cheeseburgers, but I’ll probably live longer for it.”

“You know, not having you stay at the house had nothing to do with what happened to Rex,” he said. “I’m sorry. I was upset and said some things . . .”

“I know.” She closed the gap between them, looking for a cue. When he bent down she rose onto her toes and met him halfway. Despite the cold, his lips were warm and moist, and she didn’t feel the least bit odd kissing him. In fact, it felt as natural as their hands felt twined together. When they parted lips, a snowflake landed on her nose. Dan smiled and brushed it aside.

“We’re both going to catch pneumonia out here,” he said.

“They gave me two keys to the room,” she said.



She lay beside him in the sallow glow cast by the lamp mounted over the headboard of her motel bed. The snow had dampened all sound outside the room, and it was eerily silent but for the occasional hiss and tick of the radiator beneath the window.

“You okay? You’re kind of quiet.”

“I’m doing great. How about you?”

He squeezed her close and kissed the top of her head. “Any regrets?” he asked.

“Only that you can’t stay.”

“I’d like to,” he said, “but Sherlock’s a big baby without his brother, and I do have to prepare for a fairly important hearing tomorrow.”

She smiled. “I think you would have been a good father, Dan.”

“Yeah, well, some things aren’t meant to be.”

She propped herself onto an elbow. “Why didn’t you have kids?”

“She didn’t want kids. She told me before we got married, but I thought she’d change her mind. I was wrong.”

“Well, now you have your boys.”

“And I’m sure one of them is getting anxious.”

He kissed her and rolled onto his side to get out of the bed, but she reached for his shoulder and pulled him back down. “Tell Sherlock I’m sorry you were late,” she said, rolling on top of him and feeling him harden beneath her.